Easel-back.



No. 692,857. Patented Feb. ll, I902.

H. W. JOHNS.

EASEL BACK.-

(Application filed Jan. 19, 1900.) (No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

v Patented Feb. II, !902. H. W. JOHNS.

E A S E L B A 0 K.

(Application filed Jan. 19, 1900.)

2'Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model INVENTOR m: Noam: warns 0a.. momufua, wumncwom 17 c.

UNITED, TATES ATENT "FFlCE.

HENRY \V. JOHNS,'OF BROOKLYN, NEiV YORK.

'E AS EL-BACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 692,857, dated February 11, 1902.

Application filed January 19, 1900- Serial Noi'L997. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, HENRY-NV-JOHNS, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of New York, borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Easel-Backs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to easels in general, and more specifically consistsot an improved form of hinged support or brace for small easels or cards designed to stand up in the position of an easel, the object being to produce the cheapest and simplest form possible of a hinged easel-support which may be firmly held in-its operative position or swung down parallel with the main portion of the easel or card or attached plate for purposes ofmailing. The preferred form of my apparatus with certain modifications is illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a rear elevation of an easel-ca rd with my hinged support in operative position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation with the hinged support or brace swung down parallel to the card or easel. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail View showing, partially in section, the hinge between the brace and the plate attached to the easel. Fig. 5isa rear elevation of a modification, showing a different form of plate and method of attachment to the card or easel. Fig. 6 is a perspective detail view of such modified form of plate and the upper portion of the brace hinged thereto. Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of an easel-card, showing a further modification of the attached plate. Fig. 8 is a detached view of the plate, showing a brace in operative position and Fig. 9 is aside elevation of the same. I

Throughout the figures of drawings like reference-numerals refer to like parts.

The easel-frame or piece of cardboard 1 is usually made as a separate article by a separate manufacturer, and the hinged support is manufactured and shipped ready to be attached to the said easel or card. The hinged support comprises the two main elements of the plate 2 and the bent wire 6, hinged thereto and forming the brace for supporting the easel or card in its desired position. The plate 2 may be attacheddirectly to the back hesive material or by any other convenient means of 'attachment-such, for instance, as

r the easel or card 1 by means of any ad- I the bent corners 1O of-the plate, which can be forced by pressureinto the back of the card 1 and, it desirable,bent over seas to firmly grasp the sanie. In some cases, however, I prefer to attach the plate 2' to a sec- 0nd small facing-plate 3,, asshown inFigs. 1, 2, 3, and 4. This facing-plate'3 is then attached to the back-of the easel or cardin a'ny- The first plate 2 is prefconvenient manner. erably made of metal, and the second plate 3 may be made of metalor cardboard or other convenient material. I

The plate 2 has its central portion crimped up into a semicylindrical shape, as shown at 4, and a portion of this crimped section is preferably slit down the middle along the medial line of the ,plate and has the two portions thus divided severed from the crimpedup portion of the plate by a transverse cut and bent outward substantially at right angles tothe body of the plate, so as to form a pair of jaws, as shown at 9 .9, said jaws, formed of the outwardly-bent portions of the plate, being adapted to grasp and hold with yielding pressure any object of proper size that may be forced between them. The bent portion 5 otthe brace 6 is fitted into this socket thus formed and forms with the plate 2 a hinge. A portion 8 of the wire 6 is preferably bent out, so as to form a projection adapted to slip in between these jaws when the brace 6 is arranged in a plane at right angles to the plate 2 and the easel, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6. The upper end of the Wire is bent substantially at right angles,

so as to form a second projection 7 above the plate 2, which prevents the wire from being entirely withdrawn from the socket in the plate 2.

In Figs. 7, 8, and 9 a modified form of the plate 2 is shown, which consists in cutting the plate away centrally at 11 to provide a recess symmetrical with respect to the medial line of the plate for the bent portion Set the brace, and, further, in slitting the crimped 0r semicylindrical portion of the plate from the upper edge ofthe recess to form the jaws 9 9.

The plate thus constructed will be stronger" in that the opening is centered and entirely surrounded by a margin of metal. At the same time the right'angular terminal of the upper end of the brace is dispensed with and the end of the brace lies wholly within the 4 socket of the plate.

The mode of operation of my invention is as follows: The brace 6 and plate 2 being assembled in the position shown and attached to the easel or to the facing-plate 3, a hinged joint is formed between the plate and the brace, which permits of free motion within limits along the line of the axis of the hinge. The friction of the jaws 9 9 on the interlocking portion of the wire brace is sufficient to prevent disengagement by the mere weight of the brace itself in case the free end of the brace is lifted oif from the table or other supporting-surface. Such friction, however, is not sufiicient to prevent movement of the parts on the application of a force slightly greater than the weight of the brace. If the braceis drawn down into the position shown in Fig. 3, the projection Sis clear of the jaws 9 9, and the brace may be swung to one side or the other, so as to bring it down parallel to the plate 3 or the easel 1 for purposes of mailing orshipping. If, however, the brace is turned out into a plane at right angles to the plate 2 and forced up, the projection S will enter between the jaws 9 9, and the brace 6 will be firmly held in its operative position, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4-, 5, and 6. It is evident that the supporting thrust of the brace when the easel is in position will tend to hold the parts in such locked position, and they will never free themselves unless manipulated by the operator to produce such a disengagement of the locking parts.

The advantages of my invention consist in its simplicity and certainty of operation. All springs may be done away with, the forces normally at work when the easel is in position being alone relied upon to hold the parts in operative relation. The plate 2 can be all cut and formed at one stamping operation, and the other part of the device can be made out of a single wire cut and bent to the de sired shape. At the same time, when attached for mailing to the facing-plate 3 or to the card 1 or other small easel which it is to support, the supporting-brace can be readily turned down, so that all the parts are in approximately the same plane and economically packed or stored.

Itis evident, of course, that various changes could be made in the details of the construction shown without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Other forms of brace might be employed. The'bent portions 7 and 8 of the wire might be of different shape or other projections might be substituted for them. The shape of the plate 2 might be varied, and the method of forming the female member of the hinge and the jaws 9 9 might be varied. Other means for attaching the plate to the back of the easel might be substituted. All such modified structures I should still consider within the limits of my invention, so long as the principle of operation before disclosed was pre served.

Having, therefore, described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. As an element of a combination forming a-locklng hinged joint, a plate having a por tion along its medial line crimped up in semieylindrical shape, with a second portion cut through along said medial line and also transversely to separate it from the crimped portion the wings thus formed being bent up to form oppositely-disposed jaws.

2. As an element of a combination forming a locking hinged joint, a plate having a portion along its medial line crimped up in semicylindrical shape, with a second portion cut through along said medial line and also transversely to separate it from the crimped portion the wings thus formed being bent up to form oppositely-disposed jaws, said plate also having a third portion cut away to form a recess symmetrical with respect to said medial line adjacent to said jaws.

3. The combination of an easel, the plate attached to the back 01' the easel having a portion along its medial line crimped up in semicylindrical form, with a second portion cut through along said medial line and stamped up to form oppositely-disposed jaws, a bent-wire brace having one portion lying along said crimped and stamped up portion of the plate and another portion projecting to form the brace, said wire being provided with a projection adapted to engage the jaws of the plate and said crimped portion of the plate being adapted to be engaged by the wire to prevent the disengagement of the wire or plate.

Signed by me at New York this 17th day of January, 1900.

HENRY W. JOHNS. Vitnesses:

A. PARKER SMITH, W. H. PUMPHREY.

ICO 

